WeeklySA_AdminMISSION: Pirates-Saint Eloi Lupopo clash has all the hallmarks of a humdinger…
By Masoja Cele
Head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and his beloved Orlando Pirates travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo to square off with Saint-Eloi Lupopo in the first leg of the CAF Champions League.
This is the second preliminary round, and Pirates must expect not only to face the firepower of their opponents, but also the intimidating supporters, who will be committed, through noise and rowdiness, to intimidate the Buccaneers.
The match takes place at Stade Frederic Kibassa Malibain Lubumbashi on Sunday at 3 pm. The in-form Soweto giants humiliated Lesotho side Lioli 7-0 on aggregate in the first preliminary round in Mangaung, Bloemfontein. Against “Les Cheminots,” the Buccaneers face a different kettle of fish given the tactic the team uses – setting their huge supporters on their opponents – and intimidating them through disruption and rowdiness.
The Buccaneers will be no different: they must expect to encounter a boorish and intimidating crowd that will dish out same medicine reserved for all their opponents. That the atmosphere will be unkind to the Sea Robbers, is not in question, and so the players must mentally prepare themselves to withstand the intimidating antics, not so much by the players in the field, but more by the local supporting crowd.
In the final analysis, all is dependent on how Orlando Pirates handles the situation, bringing calmness and focus to their play. Bucs, who won the CAF Champions League in 1995, will host Lupopo in the second leg on October 25 at Orlando Stadium. The winner of this round will proceed to the group stages of the competition.
Ex-Lupopo manager Luc Eymael, who is now at Chippa United gave a stern warning to Pirates on how things might unfold in Lubumbashi.
“If I am right, the first match will be held in Lupopo, and it will not be easy for the Buccaneers to travel there and achieve a positive result.
“The venue will be packed to capacity and their fans will be their 12th player of the team. The atmosphere will be unfriendly and hostile, the Sea Robbers must develop a nerve of steel, and not get intimidated by it all. “The noise and the passion, all of that will make the playing field a difficult place for Pirates to settle down.
“Pirates will feel the pressure. Lupopo have also made some excellent progress since I left, both tactically,” said former coach Eymael.
However, a positive factor for the Soweto giants is the fact that their Moroccan coach Ouaddou has an intimate idea about the tactics the opposition intend to use. He previously worked at DR Congo before arriving in South Africa. In the 2023 to early 2025 campaign, Coach Ouaddou worked at AS Vita Club in Kinshasa.
Vita Club home venue Stade des Martyrs has a capacity of 80 000. This effectively means that the Pirates mentor has a clear picture of what to expect faced with such hostile conditions.
To destabilise the Lupopo team the coach will heavily rely on the likes of inform midfielder Oswin Appollis and the rejuvenated defensive midfielder to rattle the stubborn “Les Cheminots” defence. The Seas Robbers defence must be rock-solid, prepared to deal with whatever “Les Cheminots” throws at them. Lupopo advanced to the preliminary second round after beating Al-Merrikh 1-0 in both meetings.
The Central Africa side are regarded as a top team in the DR Congo. They always packed the venue when playing at home. The home team will push for a home victory to pave for a slight advantage going into a return encounter in Soweto.
Defensively Lupopo is solid, boasting of strong midfield that revolves around the likes of Mick Harvy Ossete, Dramane Kazema, and Jonathan Masakadi. However, the “Les Cheminots” credentials will be tested to the full, with Pirates aggressive approach to games giving them an edge to throttle the hosts in their own territory.
The “Les Cheminots” new coach Guy Bukasa is expected to partner the rampant Patou Kabangu with the speedy forward Malanga Mwaku to terrorise the Bucs defence marshalled by the evergreen Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Mick Harvy Ossete, Dramane Kazema, will be deployed in central midfield to monitor the likes of Talente Mbatha and Sipho Mbule from penetrating their defence.
Meanwhile goalkeeper Simon Omossola will stay alert to thwart Pirates’ gangling striker, Evidence Makgopa, of any goal scoring chances. The battle is bound to produce sparks considering the quality of the two football giants.
